Device



W. J. TIDD. ANTISKID DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1918.

' Patented July 15, 1919.

1 MENTOR, Walzerrl 1 Tidd,

WALTER J. TIDD, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ANTISKID DEVICE.

Application and April 27, 1918. Serial No. 231,0.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWVAI/rnn J. Tron, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re siding at Springfield, in the county of Hampden andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Antiskid Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for preventing theskidding of motor vehicles. It is a well known fact that on slipperystreets and pavements, for one reason or another, it is difficult todrive the motor vehicle around a corner without causing the machine toskid dangerously, or while passing by other vehicles on the highway. Theinvention broadly considered, comprises an attachment that isadapted tobe pivotally secured to the reanaxle of the machine. Means is alsoprovided for normally holding the same elevated and away from the groundwhen it is not in use, and, means for quickly throwing the same intodirect contact with the ground or pavement when the machine commences toskid or there is liability or danger of its skidding.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor vehicle with a portionor" the body part broken away in order to illustrate the attachment ofthe device to the housing of the rear-axle.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1 showing the manner ofpivotally connecting the device to the housing ofthe rearaxle; alsoillustrating the manner of mounting the wheel.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views of modifications of the wheel, whichis to be brought into contact with the pavement, the tread portion ofthe wheel having different shapes or configurations, and

Fig. 6 is a detail enlarged view of the wheel and its mounting, showingthe same 45 attached to the housing near its center por- 7 (ion, and

Fig. 7 is a modification showing the brake .anechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail: Thebodyfiwortion of the vehicle is'indicated at 1. The housing, which incloses the rearaxle is indicated at2. 3 designates the wheel which is to be moved into contact with thepavement to prevent the skidding of the machine. The wheel 3 is mountedSpecification of Letters Patent. Pat'nted J 1y 15, 1919,

for free rotation on the shaft 4, which is an elevated position, itslower .end being attached to the rod '9 and its upper end to aprojection 9 .on the plate 11, which is secured to the housing. Rigidlysecured to the part 9 is an arm 12-and pivotally attached to the forwardend of this arm is' a lever 13, the pivot being designated at 14. Thelever 13 is attached to the housing or frame work of the machine at 15and attached to the upper end of the lever 13 is a rod 16, which extendsforward, where it terminates near the driver of the vehicle. Its forwardend has connected thereto an operating lever 17. Interposed in anysuitable manner in the rod 16 is a coiled spring 18, which is for thepurpose of providing a buffer device for absorbing or taking up theshocksshould the roller 3 strike obstructions or holes in the roadway,otherwise the device might be broken or the operators hand disengagedfrom the lever 17. Also attached to the shaft 4: are oppositely locatedbraces 19, which extend in opposite directions and are pivotally securedto the housing 2 in the same manner as already described in connectionwith the hangers or. braces 53; that is to say, by means of the clamps20, which are mounted on the opposite ends of the housing 2 and theirlower ends are formed with depending portions through which pins orbolts 21 are passed, whereby the braces 19 are pivotally connected tothe clamps 20, It is understood in Fig.

. the groove.

.the point 29.

the machine beginsto skid, the operator pulls rearwardly 0n the lever17, causing the roller 3 to be brought forcibly into direct contact withthe roadway. This roller may be constructed in different forms as shown,

in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, according to the'nature of the road on which themachine is to be used. That shown in Fig. 3 is. formed L- with a sharpedge 22, that shown in Fig. 4

is formed with two sharp edges indicated at 23, and that shown in Fig. 5has a curved edge 21, while that shown iirFig. 6 is formed with two thinedges 24'. By pulling hard on the lever 17 the. roller 3 is forcedagainst the pavement with greater pressure and the operator candetermine just how forcibly the roller 3 should be pressed against thepavement in order to prevent the machine from dangerously skidding.

It will be noticed that coiled springs 25 areplaced on the shaft 4 andon opposite sides of the roller 3, to take up or absorb any lateralforces that may be placed on the wheel 3, otherwise the wheel would beliable to be broken or parts of the mechanism bent, or damaged.

It willbe seen that I have provided an anti-friction device that isinexpensive to manufacture and one that can be readily attached to anyexisting motor vehicle and one that is efiiciently operated. I

It is to be understood by the term roller I do not limit myself to aroller of any articularsize, as this term is understood to include theterm wheel as being synonymous therewith.

Referring now to the modification shown 7, in which a brake constructionis shown for the wheel 3, to prevent the wheel from turning, and toprevent the machine from sliding forward, 26 designates a brake shoe,the face of which corresponds in shape to the face of the wheel. That isto say, if

the wheel'is formed with a V-shaped groove, the shoe is formed withinclined sides tofit is a bell-crank lever 27, to the inner end of whichis pivotally connected the-link 28 at The bell-crank lever 27 ispivotally connected to the link 12 at the point 27'. Connected to theouter end of the link 28 is a lever 30 at the point 31, and connected tothe upper end of the lever 30 is the operating rod 32. The lever 30, itwill be noticed, is mounted on. the samev pivotal point as'the lever 13.The forward end of with an operating the rod 32 is provided Pivotallyattached to the shoe hand or foot lever smnlar to the lever 17, for thepurpose of applying the brakeshoc 26 to the wheel 3, to prevent itsrotating. If this wheel is'constructed of metal and is prevented fromrotating, it will serve to prevent the machinefrom sliding forward aswell as side wise. When the operator throws the lever 17 to bring thewheel 3 into contact with the ground, he will, if necessary,

axle of a motor vehicle having a projection,

of depending braces pivotally connected to the housin of the rear axleand lying in a plane parallel to the axle housing, so as to swingtransversely of said axle housing, a spring device for normallyretaining the depending braces in an elevated position away from theroadway, a roller supported at the lower end of the braces forengagement with the roadway and means for moving the device with theroller in a forward direction toward the roadway, said spring devicebeing located between the de ending braces and said projection on theousing of the rear axle housing.

2. An attachment for motor vehicles for preventing skidding and comrising two pairs of braces that are-pivota ly attached to the housing ofthe rear axle of the chassis of the motor vehicle and which lie in aplane that is parallel to the axle so as to swing transversely of theaxle, a roller mounted at the lower end of the braces for engagementwith the roadway, an arm on the housing, a spring attached to the armand to the braces for elevating the roller, manually operated meanshaving a handle for moving the roller into contact with the roadway andagainst the tension of the elevating spring and comprising a leverpivotally secured to the chassis, a link at-,

tached to the roller elevating mechanism one end of-which is connectedto the link that is attached to the roller elevating mechanism and itsother end toa handle on the manually operated means.

3. A device for the purpose described comprising, in combinatiomtwopairs of braces pivotally secured to the'houslng of the rear axle, ashaft common;to said braces,-a roller on the shaft for engaging theroadway, spring means for normally retaining the roller in an elevatedosition, manually operatedmeans for movmg'themller into contact with theroadway and against the tension of the spring elevating means, a brakefor the roller, said brake being pivotal! secured to the rollerelevating means. and

means for operating the brake independent shaftfcompression springs onthe shaft and of the roller operating means,gas described. located atthe opposite sides of the wheel 10 4. An anti skidding device for motorvefor absorbing the lateral stresses and shocks, hicles comprising, incombination with the means for retaining the braces and wheel in 5housing of the rear axle, of two sets of an elevated position and meansfor moving braces pivotally connected to the housing, the braces andwheel downward. a shaft connecting the lower. ends of the bracestogether, a. wheel mounted on the 4 WALTER J. TIDD.

